The present invention relates to a data processing system, a storage system, and a management computer. It particularly relates to a technique for setting rights for accessing logical volumes created by a dynamic capacity expansion method for a storage system (hereinafter called the “dynamically capacity-expansible logical volumes”) and for performing access control therefor.
Lately, the amount of data maintained in a computer system has dramatically increased. In keeping with that situation, storage systems having enormous storage capacities have been employed as storage systems in computer systems.
These types of storage systems provide storage areas in units called logical volumes to host computers. Conventionally, logical volumes of fixed capacities (hereinafter called the “capacity-fixed logical volumes”) are set in a storage system based on an administrator's estimation of the required storage capacity.
However, recent storage systems require a logical volume creation method that can enhance the usage efficiency of storage areas. So the inventors of the present invention suggested, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. 2003-015915, a method for dynamically expanding the capacity of a virtual logical volume by dynamically assigning partial areas of physical resources to the logical volume in predetermined units (hereinafter called the “segments”). Note that logical devices in a Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) system configured with plural hard disks are defined as “physical resources.”
In addition to the need to enhance the usage efficiency of storage areas, a storage system is also required to perform access control, such as—in terms of security—write protection for logical volumes. So the inventors of the present invention also suggested, in Japanese Patent Raid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. 2000-112822, a technique for adding access attributes to management information for logical volumes and for managing access to the logical volume based on the information.